The Psychology of Selling: Why
People Buy

McGraw-Hill/Irwin
3-2

Copyright © 2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

Chapter

3


3-3

Chapter

3


Main Topics
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3-4

The Tree of Business Life: Benefits



Main Topics
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3-6

You Can Classify Buying Situations
Technology Provides Information
View Buyers as Decision Makers
Satisfied Customers Are Easier to Sell to
To Buy or Not To Buy–a Choice Decision

Chapter

3


The Tree of Business Life: Benefits
vic

Et
h ic

al


Exhibit 3-1: Stimulus-Response Model of
Buyer Behavior
 Internalization process is referred to as a
black box
 We cannot see into the buyer’s mind.
 Stimulus-response model
Sales Presentation

Buyer’s Hidden
Mental Process

Sale/No Sale

Stimulus

Black box

Response

Exhibit 3-1: Stimulus-response model of buyer behavior


What’s Known About Mental Process
 People buy for practical and emotional

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reasons.
Some of a person’s thoughts can be
determined.

A FABulous Approach to Buyer
Need Satisfaction
 Stressing benefits is a very


powerful selling technique
FAB selling technique
helps emphasize benefits
 Features

 Advantages
 B enefits


The Product’s Features: So What?
 Feature – a physical characteristic
 Many salespeople emphasize features
 Examples:
 Size
 Color
 Price
 Shape


The Product’s Advantages: Prove It!
 Advantage – a performance characteristic
 The chances of making a sale are increased
by describing the product’s advantages.
 How a product can be used
 How a product will help the buyer



investment, to please a loved one
Camera film – memories of places, friends,
and family
STP motor oil – engine protection, car
investment, or peace of mind
Baseball tickets – entertainment, escape from
reality, or relaxation


People Buy Benefits
 Not a product’s features
 Not a product’s advantages


People Buy Benefits, cont…
 Notice national television commercials
 They stress benefits
 Advertisers know this helps sell products


People Buy Benefits, cont…
 High performing salespeople stress benefits.
 They know this increases their chances of
making the sale and helping someone


What’s In It For Me?
 Stressing benefits in the sales presentation